How To Make Baked Boneless Chicken Wings

Walk into any restaurant with big screens blaring and you are sure to find boneless chicken wings on the menu. Nothing pleases the table quite like nuggets of crispy chicken doused in the sauce of your choosing. While the sauce is a major part of their appeal, without that crispy-crunchy exterior underneath, they’re not really any different than a chicken breast. To achieve that, we’re using a special ingredient usually stashed in the liquor cabinet.

With this recipe, you have the satisfaction of biting into pieces of tender white-meat chicken without the hassle of frying. Simply coat the chicken, then bake and broil until crisp. From there, toss the wings with your choice of spicy Buffalo or sweet, smoky honey BBQ sauce. This recipe for making crunchy boneless wings is so approachable, choosing the sauce is the hardest part!

Buffalo wings are traditionally made from the drummette and the flat (or wingette) of the chicken wing. They are deep-fried and then tossed in a buttery Buffalo sauce. Boneless wings are often found in fast-food or fast-casual restaurants where the crisp-coated breast meat might otherwise be known as a nugget, finger, or tender.

My best guess is that calling them boneless wings makes it more socially acceptable to get a grown-up to eat a chicken nugget. Boneless wings are a bit bigger than your standard nugget, requiring two or three bites and not just one. Eating wings is a pretty primal experience. For those who aren’t into all the gristle and grit, boneless wings are the perfect vehicle for your Buffalo and blue cheese sauces.

• This recipe calls for breast meat instead of wings or thighs. You’ll get a more satisfying, substantial bite this way. Grab 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts at the market.
• In addition to flour, cornstarch, and seasoning, you’ll also need panko breadcrumbs for ultra-crisp wings.
• The wings can be cooked in advance (and even frozen!), but be sure to sauce them just before serving.

The trick to making boneless wings as tasty as their bone-in counterparts is building a good foundation. A thick, crisp coating soaks up the sauce and gives the illusion of being fried. Start by dipping the chicken pieces in seasoned flour, then dunk them in an egg white-buttermilk-vodka mixture before taking a final tumble in a bowl of panko breadcrumbs.

If a tender, crispy crunch is what you are after, add cornstarch to the seasoned flour. The starch interrupts the protein of the all-purpose flour just enough to make a crisp crust. This coating, partnered with panko breadcrumbs and a quick broil before serving, makes for a boneless wing the rivals game-day wings and fried chicken fingers alike.

• Make a breading station. Once your chicken is cut, set up a station for coating the chicken — have dry ingredients, the buttermilk mixture, and the panko standing by.
• Coat and move to a cooling rack. Coat the wings and set them on a cooling rack inside a baking sheet. The circulation helps set the coating before baking and helps the wings cook faster in the oven.
• Bake then broil. Bake the boneless wings until cooked through, then just broil the outside to crisp and brown the crust. This two-step process leaves the meat juicy and tender while giving your wings the extra crunch they need to deliver the sauce.

Once baked and broiled, wait until you are ready to serve to toss the wings with the sauce. The classic choice is a combination of melted butter and bottled hot sauce. To mimic the flavor and heat of restaurant-style wings, Frank’s RedHot® hot sauce is the way to go, but feel free to substitute your household’s favorite. For a sticky-sweet boneless wing, whisk honey and bottled barbecue sauce together with a pinch of crushed red pepper.

You’ve done a lot of work for a flavorful, crisp crust, so keep in mind that once sauced, the wings won’t stay crispy for very long. Maybe for that reason, going with a dip is the preferred way to go!

Boneless wings are perfect party food and also the saving grace for a last-minute weeknight dinner. The key is to make a big batch all at once, up to the point of broiling, then freeze before they are sauced. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet and then toss in a freezer zip-top bag for up to three months. When you are ready to serve family at the table or friends at a party, just reheat as few or as many as you need in the oven.

Round out the platter with dipping bowls of ranch dressing and blue cheese and slivers of carrot and celery sticks. Guests won’t miss out on the flavor of spicy wings or the fun of dipping, and you won’t miss the greasy plates of discarded bones. Just make sure there are enough paper towels to go around!